Ground Control Software for Small Satellite Missions

This thesis will cover the development, implementation and validation of the software of the Ground Control Station (GCS) for Nanosatellite missions, a Mission Control Software (MCS), that aims to perform the control and the management of spacecraft subsystems telemetry and commands. Typically, ground operations during the mission are always complex and require a lot of efforts in terms of time, cost and needed resources. A way to reduce time and costs is to use a specific software that allows user to manage all subsystems' telemetry and commands at the same time in autonomy way. To do this, we proceed searching existing software, and evaluating if, for our aim, it is required to employ one previously conceived and tested, choosing between "open" and "close" source, or, if it is necessary design one "in-house developed". The final software set up and utilized is a combination of an open source existing software with a graphical layout that facilitates user to employ it, and an implementation of functions for the control and the management of telemetry data and commands. To validate this software, we utilize telemetry data received by E-st@r 2, spacecraft developed by CubeSat Team of Politecnico di Torino, during a preliminary phase test, simulating the satellite that sends telemetry packets through an executable program. Then, we manage, control and analyze telemetry packets received in real time with a Development Board on which are placed the radio and EPS of E-st@r 2 prototype. Finally, we adapt the software to manage a spacecraft constellation composed by three Nano Satellites, one of which is E-st@r 2, and, through a string generator, we create telemetry packets for the other two spacecrafts.